The president of India (IAST: Bhārat kē Rāṣṭrapati) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive,[a] the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu is the 15th and current president, having taken office from 25 July 2022. The office of president was created when India officially became a republic on 26 January 1950 after gaining independence on 15 August 1947, when its constitution came into force. The president is indirectly elected by an electoral college comprising both houses of the Parliament of India and the legislative assemblies of each of India's states and territories, who themselves are all directly elected by the citizens. Article 53 of the Constitution of India states that the president can exercise their powers directly or by subordinate authority (with few exceptions), though all of the executive powers vested in the president are, in practice, exercised by the prime minister (a subordinate authority) with the advice of the Cabinet ministers.[3] The president is bound by the constitution to act on the advice of the prime minister and cabinet as long as the advice does not violate the constitution.